When He Awoke
by SC4RLETFEAR
Summary: The truth has been revealed. Now Shion constantly visits Satoshi who is in a coma state, hoping that he'd wake up. Her patience and hope got rewarded once again but things aren't always as perfect as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first fic on this website, but definitely not the first idea hahaha! Do support and give suggestions okay :D**

**Note : This has been edited, but the plot will not change. Dedicated to Isae who helped me in this :)**

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**Chapter One - Satoshi**

It was one year. One horrible year.

This poor girl had to wait for her love for one whole year, or maybe even for the rest of her life.

Waiting for him and reliving old memories of him were just minor parts of her immense PAIN. The worst thing was that she, no, nobody even knew if he was still alive.

He had disappeared one fine day, a day where she had thought everything to be supposedly fine even with the ruckus about the curse occurring again on the festival.

However that did not seemed to be the case- she realized it when every part of her took in the information of his sudden disappearance. She refused to accept it, even when his sister Satoko had calmed down after months of sobbing and searching for him for as far as she could go. The girl tried to move on like how the others did, but part of her still wished that he was somewhere, doing fine and that he would come back.

O foolish child, why haven't you been accepting reality? She supposedly heard a mature voice talking to her just before she went to bed on a cold winter night. She thought it was just her imagination, yet she felt she had the obligation to answer the question.

"I believe Satoshi-kun will come back," she murmured to herself, biting her lip in hopes that her brimming tears wouldn't fall to her cheeks. She blinked them away furiously, believing that she had to be strong. Her mentality somewhat became like Satoko, maybe through the times she had spent with her.

After carefully sealing her hopes in a corner of her cold heart and blanketing it with a warm exterior, she returned back to Hinamizawa during the June of Showa 58 and found Coach Irie almost being smashed into bits.

She found out everything- the plan to murder Rika and the village, and had the resolve to protect everyone; she wasn't going to lose anyone important to her again. More importantly, she had to keep her promise to Satoshi. She had been having weird dreams of herself brutally stabbing his dearest sister in a rage, blaming her for all the misfortunes of her big brother. She was constantly scared by that thought, afraid of losing control of her demon side. Sure, she had thought of resorting to such a thing before, but after being haunted with those dreams, she suppressed them and decided to take care of Satoko like her own sister.

It was then Irie's words that brought her shattered pieces of heart back together again.

At first, she didn't believe it. It had to be a dream. It couldn't be true. After all this time.

Her widened eyes stared right through the glass pane to the blond lying still in THE BED with machines beside it. The only other thing noticeable was the huge teddy bear at a corner.

"It...can't...be..." Her fingers clenched back into fists and she continued staring at the young teenager sleeping almost peacefully.

That was it. After one horrible, hope-shattering year of not having her first true love around, the only obstacle left now was just a mere eye opening from the boy.

She was absolutely relieved and glad that she had not given up hope, like what Hanyuu had said.

But the hardest part was to keep it a secret from Satoko. Satoko, being Satoshi's one and only friend, family and supporter, had been oblivious to everything related to Satoshi from then on. She would always turn away in sorrow whenever Keiichi mentioned his name by accident. She even felt frighteningly afraid when she saw him wielding her precious brother's bat, especially at the thought of Keiichi disappearing like him. She couldn't afford to lose another big brother figure.

Shion knew Satoko's pain, but her excitement, her joy, her love - she couldn't contain it all by herself. Sure, the other members must have sort of known, but it felt so wrong to keep Satoko in the dark.

Now, being about half a year after the events about Takano and Rika, Shion continued to watch over Satoshi in the underground BASEMENT of the clinic. She felt contented with this, yet part of her yearned for something more.

"Just open your eyes already," was what her new hope was now.

Normally, Sonozaki Shion would be having fun outdoors and joining in club activities with her Onee's friends. She was the type of girl who loved to have fun, just like her sister. She usually wouldn't want to be cooped up in a ghostly silent room alone.

But if it was for Satoshi, she was willing to do anything.

Again, for the fourth time this week, she looked at his facial features, observing every single part of them. His face looked worn out, just like when Oishi wanted him at the station back then. His BLOND HAIR seemed to get darker and that look surprisingly okay on him. Shion always thought light features will look nice on him because of his gentle personality but dark colours are now an option too.

She stayed quiet for a moment, listening to his breathing syncing with hers, together with the annoying beeping of the machines. She looked down at her lap where the BOOK 'Sleeping Beauty' sat. Her eyes darted back to his image again. It was a silence so peaceful, unlike those heir meetings she had attended on rare occasions.

"I guess it is childish for me to read such a story to you, huh?" Shion laughed softly to herself. The boy did not stif at such a comment.

She knew that she shouldn't even start crying when she stayed with him but sometimes, an irrestible urge came up in her, making her eyes fill with saltwater.

Shion gave a grim smile, a smile that tries to reject the idea of breaking, one that tries to cheer her up. Her hands shifted to his, interlocking her fingers with his limp fingers. He might not have been consciously awake now but his warmth was still transmitted, comforting her.

"Please..." she whispered in a dejected tone. "Wake up...won't you?" She bent over and her head lowered so that she was facing the ground, so that no one would ever see her indescribable expression.

She remained in the tranquil yet depressing silence for a while, knowing that she would have to leave this place soon and come back to see his sleeping face again the next day.

That was when a jerk in the bed jolted her awake.

The green-haired girl's head cocked up and found the boy's face scrunching up like he was in pain. She sat up immediately and stared at him in anticipation and fear. What was happening to him? Was this a SIGN of him waking up? Or the last reaction before he dies? Just what was he...?

She gripped onto his hand tightly as Satoshi shifted uncomfortably in THE BED. Even her wildly thumping heartbeat could be heard in this silent room. She waited for a few seconds and almost cried when red irises met her green.

He awoke.

Hojo Satoshi woke up after one and a half years.

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**[gaaah Satoshi-kun woke up i'm dying]**

**Well that's kind of short, but more will come soon! Please review so I can make improvements/ have more ideas! Hope you continue to read this to the end! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - Struggle**

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Shion watched in astonishment as the blond slowly opened his eyes, his empty red irises meeting her emeralds. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to fall out. She was at loss for words – Satoshi had finally woken up.

A rush of panic flowed into her mind. She couldn't be basking in this happiness and cry her eyes out at this moment. She needed help. Shion frantically searched for the nurse button but her mind told her to rush upstairs. Wiping away her tears, she tried to make her way out of the room as quick as possible, only to stumble over the chair. She stopped herself from hitting her face flat on the ground and mustered up all her strength to get to Irie as soon as possible.

She ran. Although it easily took less than a minute to get to the doctor's office, Shion felt as though she was running a marathon. A marathon that could change her entire life. She halted abruptly, stopping herself from hitting the wall when turning the corner to the stairs. She ran up the stairs, skipping steps that could make her tumble down dangerously. Yet she didn't care. It was all about Satoshi, Satoshi and Satoshi.

She slammed open the door, startling the doctor and the poor old lady in the room. She panted heavily as Irie stood up slowly in confusion. "Shion-san? What's wrong?" He asked. Judging by her expression, it was definitely about Satoshi. It was either his condition worsened, or that he...

No, it was impossible. He had already concluded that the teenager wouldn't wake up for at least another few more years. Irie looked to Shion and without a word, he ran out of his office.

The doctor reached the isolated room where the boy (should have) slept. His eyes widened as the sight of the blond blinking at the ceiling unfolded right before him. Irie took a few steps towards the bed, trying not to scare the boy. Shion arrived just then, panting even more heavily than before. She felt as though oxygen had been completely used up in her entire being.

"H-Hojo-kun?" Irie said softly in hesitation. He knew that if he immediately went to surround Satoshi with tools and questions, the poor boy would definitely freak out and be reduced in a comatose state again. The doctor shifted his hand to meet the boy's, trying to test out what his reaction would be. The boy stirred a little, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.

"S-Satoshi-kun...?" Shion's voice drew nearer but she stood a short distance behind Irie. She peered to look at her beloved, as though he was a newborn baby who needed a peaceful environment. Her eyes finally met his after watching him staring at the ceiling for a long time. At that very moment, struggling noises interrupted the tense atmosphere.

Irie immediately took a step back, before calling for help. Shion could only watch in horror as Satoshi began moving violently in bed, screaming out noises. Her mind finally processed and she realised that the boy was trying to get out from the binds on his limbs. Satoshi tried to wriggled his hands and legs out of the binds, but to no avail. He screamed once again, and Shion took in those horrible sounds into her ears. They seemed so hurtful, filled with pain and also...violent.

She could do nothing to soothe him. She knew that it would aggravate him even more. As nurses came in to try to calm the boy down, Irie went straight to find words that could calm him down while trying to examine him. Shion watched, feeling terrified. Not at the commotion, but at how her view of Satoshi was distorted.

_This isn't the Satoshi-kun I knew, he isn't violent like that!_ Her lips trembled and she clutched her chest. Yet another part of her chided her. _Can't you sympathize with him?! He is new to this world! HE IS SCARED!_ Her legs started shaking as the sight of Satoshi's empty eyes widening engulfed her mind. It was as though he was looking to her for help-no, he was looking at her with murderous intent.

Shion ran out, not able to watch for any longer. She ran to the stairs where she thought she couldn't hear the screams anymore, but the screams kept getting louder and louder. She dropped to her knees at last, giving peace to her trembling legs. She crouched low, covering her ears as the screams began clouding her mind. Satoshi's screams were everywhere, and hers as well.

"S-Satoshi-kun..wouldn't look at me like that!" She whispered to herself croakily as she remembered the meaning behind his glare. It was far different from the one he gave right before she bullied Satoko. It was on a whole new level, a level that she, somehow, could understand.

As all sorts of emotional memories came back to her mind, the tears she had been trying to control began falling endlessly. It was as though she had finally let out all the tears she tried to hide from the others. She usually gave an exhausted smile at the topic of Satoshi, claiming that she was fine and that she'd wait for him. _But why?_ she asked herself. Why wasn't she happy at all when this moment finally happened?

After what seemed like hours, Irie approached the worn-out Shion at the corner of the stairs. "Shion," His tone was a little worried. "He's alright now."

Shion jerked up, making her way towards the room. However, Irie stopped her, pulling her back to face him. She looked at him with a perplexed expression, before relaxing when he shook his head. "Why..?" She asked softly as Irie let go of her hand.

"He is in an unstable state," Irie explained seriously. "His world is still in Showa 57, after he killed his aunt. That's why he still thinks that we are out to get him."

Shion looked down, feeling terribly in despair. All this waiting and these glimmers of hope...was it all futile? She clenched her fists. No, her subconscious told her, Just get him used to this world, and all will progress well eventually.

"I talked to him," Irie continued. "The only things he said were 'Satoko' and 'bear'. Judging by his expression, he probably still thinks that she's still the same girl she was in Showa 57. So I explained the situation to him. He seemed confused though, so he's asleep now."

Shion's head shot up and she gaped at the doctor in fear. "Don't worry, he will wake up normally," Irie forced a smile. "But his Hinamizawa Syndrome Level is still wavering between 4 and 5 and it may get serious if anything aggravates him."

The green-headed girl bit her lip. "Meaning he'll go back to into a coma?" she said, earning a nod from the doctor. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again. "Is it okay if I visit him now?"

"Yeah," Irie smiled at her before heading back up to his office. Shion parted ways with him, making her way slowly to the room. Her heart clenched in anticipation as she wait to see the figure of Satoshi again. _It's the same old sleeping guy again, nothing new,_ a part of her said.

She went into the room and sat beside him, like how she always did. She had the strong urge to stroke his hair, but suppressed it in case it woke him up and the whole struggling drama happened again.

Instead of the grim, exhausted smile had she gave ever since she found him, it was now a genuine sparkling smile that could melt the sleeping boy if he ever woke up to see it.

_He will_, she thought silently.

He wasn't the same still sleeping patient again. She knew that this was a new Satoshi, a new beginning, and a new life for him.

And she was going to help him pull through.

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**Sorry for the late update! Blame school :/ (though it's the holidays now) This chapter is sure full of drama...well, review please! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Realization**

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Ever since that incident, the younger of the Sonozaki twins had been visiting Satoshi every single day without fail. Even if her shift ended late, she'd still visit the recovering boy and try to converse with him.

"Satoshi-kun, are you feeling good?" Shion asked as she placed a bowl of fruits on the table. She approached the blond who was sitting upright on the bed, his expression still empty as always. Every once in a while, he would mutter some words which Shion didn't understand. His eyes were always fixed on the white blanket, occasionally shifting to look at the bear or Shion. The girl continued to be patient with him - she had to get him back to his usual self step by step.

She had not told anyone about the awakening of Satoshi. She didn't want them to get all hyped up and possibly spill it to Satoko by accident. Plus, she wanted this to be a surprise to them, especially his sister. However, keeping mum about such an important matter was a difficult task for her, as whenever she met up with the club, she'd always try not to crack a huge smile. She sometimes did though, on occasions when there was nothing funny happening. Rena and Mion would always wonder about her sudden outburst of grinning, but she waved it off by saying that she remembered an old joke.

She had made Irie keep mum about this right before he was about to phone Satoko. "I'll get Satoko to be your maid for a week," she had bribed him, which made him agree immediately.

After asking about his condition, Satoshi looked up at her, seemingly penetrating her with his empty stare. His mouth started to open and Shion's chest tightened in anticipation.

"...What year...?" The words were so soft, almost inaudible to the girl. Yet the room was too quiet which allowed her to hear perfectly.

Shion went over to his side and sat down. "Showa 58, but the year is ending soon," she smiled gently at the confused boy, speaking softly as if he was a child.

She was glad that the boy gradually opened up to her.

Satoshi stared at her for a moment before slowly turning to scan the room. "Where...am...I?" He muttered, confusion filling up his eyes.

"Irie's clinic," She answered him, trying to suppress the fluttering heart of hers. It had been so long since Satoshi held a conversation with her. Not that this was any proper conversation though, but it was enough for her.

"Why..?"

Shion's eyes widened a little, before turning away from him. She knew she shouldn't break the news of his syndrome to him, but she had to answer him. However, she could already picture the situation if she explained his condition. All the chaos would definitely ensue and she wasn't going to let that happen.

Before she could think of an answer to satisfy him, Satoshi suddenly clutched his blanket tightly and started to shift from his bed. "What?" He began, voice getting louder and louder. "I...I have been sleeping for over a year?!" Shion, feeling startled, tried to soothe him but got cut off by his raging words.

"Someone must have drugged me right? That's why they put me to sleep! They probably did cruel experiments to me!" He yelled, throwing his covers aside. He tried to move his legs to the edge of THE BED, but they wouldn't budge. "YOU!" He shouted at Shion, whose face was filled with fright. "YOU ARE ONE OF THEM RIGHT?!"

"W-What are-" Shion tried to talk but stopped midway when she noticed Satoshi's expression. It was filled with hurt and anger, and his eyes seemed to tell her something.

_I'm going to murder you_, she could almost hear him say it. She shuddered, trying to move back from him. However he grabbed a fork by the bowl of fruits and leaned forward. Satoshi raised the fork high and with murderous intent, he headed straight for Shion.

A gruesome sound could be heard and the poor girl was cowering in fear, expecting the pain to reach her, but it didn't come.

She opened her eyes and looked at the bloodied sight in front of her. A hand was stretched towards Satoshi, as if it was meant to protect her. The fork stuck upright in the hand and blood began flowing out. She stifled a scream and instead shouted, "Coach!"

Irie grunted as he pulled out the fork. "Coach! Are you okay?!" Shion looked at his bloodied hand and grimaced for a second. "The wound is surprisingly..deep.." He winced in pain as he moved his hand slightly. Shion shifted her attention to Satoshi, who was staring at them, wide-eyed. "Are you her accomplice too?!" He yelled as he tried to position himself in defense, but his body which hadn't moved for the past year stopped him from moving freely.

"Satoshi-kun, it's not what you think!" Shion protested and Irie tried to approach him to calm him down. "ALL OF YOU!" Satoshi yelled. "ALL OF YOU ARE LIARS!" He tried to push Irie away but to no avail, since he had not much physical strength. Tears start brimming at her eyes; this was too complicated for her to bear. She had no idea how to soothe the boy down and keep him calm.

_The thing is_, she thought sadly, _will he ever trust me again?_

Irie quickly treated his wound in a speed that professionals do, while at the same time keeping an eye on the blond so that he didn't attack Shion. Shion sat on the chair in a daze, staring at Satoshi while he was shouting at her. She couldn't take any words in...she was feeling scared. Scared that all her efforts would be wasted.

That is, until a word caught her attention.

"I KNEW IT! THE VILLAGE IS HEEDING THE SONOZAKIS' PLANS RIGHT?! TO KILL ME! THAT'S HOW THE SONOZAKI FAMILY WORKS, HUH?!"

_Sonozaki_.

She had had enough.

Shion slowly stood up, still staring at the boy. _It doesn't matter if he's a patient,_ her inner self told her. _So what if he has the Syndrome? After all you've done for him, he still hates your family. So what if he's the one you love? So what?_

She took a step forward and in a fit of rage, she slapped him.

It hurt. It definitely hurt Satoshi, but it hurt Shion ten times more.

Satoshi sat on the bed in silence, astounded at what had just happened. He looked up at Shion who was towering over him and tears started falling onto his bed.

"Who..." Her voice was shaky. "Who gives you the right to insult my family?!" Satoshi tried to protest angrily, only to be cut off by her. "The Sonozaki family did nothing wrong! Totally nothing! Stop assuming things! Are you even Satoshi-kun!?" Shion rambled on, slowly grabbing the boy by the collar. She didn't give a damn anymore. She didn't care anymore. Her hope had slowly faded away...drifting away like the cotton buds in the river.

"Shion-san-"Irie tried to stop her, only for her to ignore him.

"THE SATOSHI-KUN I KNEW WOULDN'T EVEN TRY TO HURT ANYONE, EVEN IF THEY WERE THE ONES BULLYING HIM!"

Satoshi stared at the girl in shock, taking the words she had just said deep into his mind. He blinked at Shion, who was wailing. Her hands slowly slipped away from the collar and she knelt down on the ground. Her arms covered her face as she wailed in the bed. As the blond looked at such a sight, his tired eyes slowly lit up a little.

Satoshi lifted his hand and Irie immediately took a step towards him, trying to watch the boy intently and stop him if he did anything violent to the defenseless girl. However, his hand landed softly onto the pile of soft green hair, stoking it gently. Irie watched in astonishment as Satoshi gave a disheartened expression at the girl while patting her on the head.

Never mind Irie's astonishment, Shion's emotions immediately jerked to shock rather than sadness. She slowly looked up at the boy, face full of tears. The stroking stopped, yet the warmth of his hand was still on her head and he looked at her blankly, though it had a tinge of tenderness in his eyes. Her body tingled as the sense of nostalgia went over her, and her eyes were filled with tears once more.

The last thing she remembered that day was hugging the boy and crying her eyes out as he stroked her head once more.

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**A/N ; This is quite a fast update, heh. Review! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Time**

"Satoshi-kun has a low chance of relapsing again, but we still have to be careful around him," the doctor said as he looked through the data in the documents. Shion sat in front of him, fidgeting nervously. Two weeks had passed since the incident and Satoshi was behaving normally like usual. Nowadays he frequently sat on the bed, eating fruits as Shion chatted with him while he responded normally. It seemed like the old times, but something was missing.

"Coach," she said nervously. Irie looked up from his documents, raising a brow at her. She looked to the ground, fiddling with her fingers and opened her mouth.

"Today's the day Satoshi-kun will be doing rehabilation...right?"

"Yep," Irie answered, going back to his documents again. "After the rehabilitation, Satoshi will be able to lead a normal life but he also will have to take daily injections like Satoko and that doesn't really count as-"

"Um," Shion interrupted, her voice still nervous. "How long will it take?"

"Depends on his progress." Shion gave a sigh.

Satoshi-kun, you can do it!

She was now standing outside his room, peering in through the glass window. Satoshi was obeying the nurse's instruction while Irie stood by them to keep watch. She had decided to stay out of this, mainly because she wanted him to be independent.

At the word independent, she gave an exhausted smile as she thought about all those times when she had to feed him or read him books.

She watched as Satoshi tried to stand to grab the railings at the side of the wall. What was going through Shion's mind wasn't about his progress, but rather about how fragile he looked. It was as if he was a puppet following its master's orders. His face looked pale and lifeless, though he showed some sort of expressions whenever he almost fell.

The green head couldn't help but shiver as negative thoughts came clouding her mind. Would he continue looking like that even if he went back to his normal lifestyle?

Shion shook the thoughts out of her head and focused on the ragged figure. Satoshi was finally clinging onto the railings with his knees bent and he hung there by exerting his arm muscles. Beads of sweat were rolling down his face and dripping to the ground where his feet rested uncomfortably. He scrunched his nose up and clenched his jaw as he tried to lift himself up properly, but to no avail.

Finally, he dropped to the ground with a soft thud.

When she saw the nurse attending to him, Shion's muscles relaxed and she realised that the inside of her cheek stung a little. She gave a sigh. She usually bit them whenever she felt stressed or extremely anxious.

She felt a little disappointed at Satoshi and the thoughts of blaming him and his stupid slow progress kept screaming at the back of her mind. She suppressed it with her reasoning - "you would never understand". However she couldn't keep the rude expression off her face and unfortunately for her, Irie saw it.

"Don't worry," He said beside her. "Satoshi is doing pretty well."

How is that pretty well? Can't he just get on and walk already?! Her demon kept screaming yet she remained completely composed while fighting back in her mind. He is just like a newborn baby; he needs time.

"That's great," She finally managed to say.

That day, she went back home straight after Satoshi decided to take a break for the rest of the day. He had mumbled that it was too exhausting for him and Shion immediately regretted blaming him after seeing his pained face. He was still expressionless though he started to show signs of happiness whenever Shion talked to him about how Satoko was faring. "Time," Irie had said. "He just needs time."

Shion lay on her bed, her limbs spread out as she closed her eyes and began drifting herself into a void of peace. All the thoughts about Satoshi had been taking up her mind and she wasn't in the mood for school or friends anymore. As she felt herself sinking deeper into the abyss of silence, her heart felt much lighter. She finally heaved a long sigh and opened her eyes.

She'd never imagined that Satoshi would be so tiring.

She wanted to convince herself, saying "But he just woke up! Treat him like a child or something!" but at the same time, another part of her was chiding, "Just give up already. It's taking too long."

At those thoughts Shion tossed around in her bed, groaning in frustration. Thank goodness Kasai wasn't around or he'd call up Mion to check on her or something and that was something she wouldn't want, because-

The doorbell rang and Shion got up to answer it.

-Mion would-

She found an exact replica of her facing right before her.

-force everything out of her.

"O-Onee..." Shion trailed off but she couldn't keep her surprise and dread in her tone. Speak of the devil.

Mion stood before her, holding a box of pastries with her huge grin. "Hey Shion!" She exclaimed as she walked in freely. Her younger sister followed behind her, trying to calm herself down and carry on the facade she had been giving ever since Satoshi woke up.

"Hey," Shion greeted back as she poured tea. "What brings you here?" She asked curiously while praying hard it was about trivial stuff that was totally not related to her.

"Well..." Mion trailed off.

It's not anything about me, right? I have kept up a great act, after all. Shion's heart beat faster.

"Just wanna ask you a few things." Mion ended.

A bad feeling crept up Shion's spine as she sat before her older sister while pushing herself to smile at her. However her smile slowly faded away as Mion looked at her with worried eyes.

"Shion." Mion opened her mouth and Shion tensed up. She wasn't ready to spill out anything about Satoshi to anyone yet, even if it was her sister. Furthermore, she hadn't got the mood to talk about him.

Mion's serious green orbs began averting from Shion and she tried to smile but it ended with an awkward attempt. "Um," she continued, scratching her head. "Um, I was wondering if you had anything to tell me."

Shion's lips formed into a thin line before breaking out into a terribly fake smile. "W-What thing?" Darn, since when had her acting gotten so bad? You can't fool her, the demon snickered. She's known you before birth.

"Don't lie to me, Shion." Mion immediately reverted back to her serious mode again. "I've known you since before we were born." Shion gave an inaudible 'heh' as her sister's words matched her demon's.

Shion remained quiet, looking down at her tea which was turning cold. "Lately you've been acting strange," Mion continued with worry evident in her voice. "You may fool Rena and the rest but you can't fool me."

"We're sisters aren't we? You can tell me anything." The tomboy smiled.

Shion looked up at her to see her sister's earnest smile directed towards her. She then gaze up to the ceiling and the leaned back on her chair, lumping her arm to cover her eyes. "Ah, I give up!" She groaned and ruffled her hair in frustration. She then sat back up, staring straight into Mion's emerald eyes. With an exhausted sigh, she opened her mouth.

"Satoshi-kun woke up."

A few solid seconds passed and Shion watched as her sister's jaw slowly dropped to the ground. What a reaction.

"W-What?!" Mion stood up immediately and leaned in to her twin. "Are you for real?"

"I wouldn't lie about such a thing."

Mion's eyes fell back to her tea as her sister's words processed in her mind. Satoshi finally woke up? It was quite unbelievable yet so real...it was like he's actually here yet he wasn't.

"T-Then what happened? How is he?" She asked Shion and sat back down, calming down.

Shion gave a bored look since all the surprise about him waking up was already all gone. She rested her cheek on her palm. "A few things happened here and there but he's on rehab now." She explained.

"I...I see..." Mion looked away and then back at her sister again. "But shouldn't you be happy and excited and stuff? You looked so down lately."

I did? Shion questioned herself. She rested her hand down and started stirring her tea for amusement. "I..." She began but she couldn't put the words to say it. "Let's just say...my demon blames him for not recovering quickly." Her heart seemed to twist as the ugly words came tumbling out of her mouth.

She glanced at her older twin who opened her mouth to speak and prepared to turn away if she ever said the word 'time'. What was time ever going to help with anything? She had waited so long for him to wake and just when he finally did, more time was needed just for a recovery to keep up with life. She couldn't wait any longer. She felt like all the energy and motivation had drained out from her.

But what Mion had said completely astounded and she stared at her in slight bewilderment.

"Huh?" Shion said, urging Mion to repeat her words.

"What you've got to do, Shion," Mion repeated calmly. "is that you have to support him with all you got."

Looking at Shion's confused face, Mion continued, "You see, I think that Satoshi is doing his utmost best at trying to recover but it isn't all about the time and pace that helps him...it's about the support he gets."

"In other words, just do what you can to help him and give him the motivation to do it so that he can have more will power. " Mion smiled.

Shion understood her sister's words yet she couldn't quite convince herself. She was supporting Satoshi all the way right? Like helping him to clean up and feed him, or read him stories and chat with him about Satoko and the others...isn't that what she had done to help him? She had also watched Satoshi from outside to see his progress-

Something clicked in her.

The next day she went to visit Satoshi again although she had planned to visit him a few days later. He was doing his rehabilation again and was just going to fall to the ground when Shion burst into the room.

She went to Satoshi's side, who was clinging onto the railings like his dear life depended on it. His knees were about to drop to the ground when Shion placed her hand onto his, gripping it tightly as she smiled at him warmly.

"I know you can do it, Satoshi-kun." She said and he looked at her, a little surprised at her sudden appearance.

Upon hearing those words and the warmth rested on his hand, he gave a brief smile and tried his attempt to stand up straight again. Shion watched and talked to him as he used his full energy just to stand properly on the concrete floor. Her heart beat in anticipation as he slowly got the hang of it. "Satoshi-kun, go for it!" she said.

After a few futile attempts, the blond finally rested his hand onto the railings and his body stood up straight. He finally managed to stand.

"I...I did it..." He panted in delight.

Shion almost cried tears of joy when she watched his eyes light up to their fullest. Mion was right. He needed support from the ones close to him and she couldn't just stand outside and watch him while making unsightly expressions.

She had to cast her thoughts away and settle on helping him to recover slowly one step at a time so that he could be in his best condition after that. She had to be right beside him and go through whatever obstacles that hit them together with him.

Shion let out a short laugh as Satoshi dropped to the ground, face full of sweat and exhaustion. It was the best progress so far and she knew that there was more to come. Miracles happen, after all.****

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**A/N : I planned to publish these 2 chapters during New Years as a special but...I guess school just took up most of my time. :/**

**Anyway, please review and also I might be updating later than usual since I'm in my final year. ZZZZZ I can feel the stress.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Feelings**

Shion internally groaned as she shuffled her feet on the pavement leading to the clinic, while keeping her hands warm in the huge pockets of her winter coat. It was a normal day, with her going to visit Satoshi and try her progress in the relationship. But the only thing she especially dreaded was...

"Shion! Slow down, would ya?" Her older twin yelled behind her.

That's right. The nosy sister of hers just had to tag along to visit.

Shion remained silent, huffing out the warm air within her and opened the clinic doors. She had never agreed to this, yet Mion just had to pester her and threatened to spill out everything to Satoko. Having no other choice, Shion had merely grunted in approval.

Mion would surely make the fun out of her and Satoshi, though the poor boy was too blurry to figure anything out.

The twins finally reached Satoshi's room and as they entered, they found the blond flipping the pages of a book while being wrapped in a huge blanket. He was reading intently and Mion set the basket of fruits before him, startling him.

"Another Shion!" He blurted out.

Mion let out a laugh and grinned widely at him. "Long time no see, Satoshi!" She raised her hand as a gesture. Satoshi merely blinked at her, before breaking into a small smile. "Hey...M-Mion."

Seeing his hesitant reaction, Shion turned to her older sister. "Satoshi's memory is still a little fuzzy, so he probably doesn't remember much about you," she said.

Mion let out a petty pout at the blond and folded her arms. "Aw c'mon, am I that easily forgotten?"

Satoshi rubbed the back of his head and gave a smile. "Um, sorry..."

"Nah, I was just joking," Mion dragged out another chair and sat by him. "So, how are you and-no, how are you?" Her eyes momentarily shifted to look at Shion, before facing Satoshi.

Shion almost growled in annoyance. She could have sworn there was a smirk on Mion's face.

"Uh...fine, I guess," He answered. "I can feel myself returning back to normal."

Mion suppressed a laugh and instead smile. "That's great! When you get better, Oji-san will challenge you to a duel!"

"I think it's an instant defeat for me," Satoshi smiled.

Watching the interaction between her sister and Satoshi, Shion heaved a sigh of relief. It was already evident that Satoshi had been recovering quite fast this past month, given that he had not relapsed ever since after the start of his rehabilitation. Irie also confirmed that it was highly unlikely for Satoshi to return to Level 5 again and the only problem left is his physical abilities.

Shion looked to the ground, a smile creeping up to her face. She thought back to all the times she had been with Satoshi, though most of them were either exhausting or emotional. Even though she had been through a lot, she knew that it wasn't much compared to Satoshi. She was really glad that he was slowly recovering and she definitely couldn't wait for him to go back to his normal life.

"I said, Shion!" The green head snapped back to reality and looked up to find both teens staring back at her. "W-What?" Shion asked.

"Weren't ya listening? I asked how you and Satoshi were," Mion huffed before smiling...slyly.

"H-HUH?!" Shion stuttered.

"I don't really get it," Satoshi mumbled.

Mion looked at her flustered sister for a moment before before grinning at Satoshi. "I just wanted to know what kind of relationship do you and Shion have," She said. Oh, this was so payback for all the times Shion had made fun of her and Kei-chan.

Before Shion could object and clear the topic away, Satoshi looked at Shion before facing Mion. "I guess...we are friends? She has helped me a lot, so I'm really grateful for her."

Shion blushed a little. "Onee! Don't-"

"Question Two!" Mion suddenly exclaimed, clearly intent on stopping Shion from interfering her fun. "Do you think Shion would make a good housewife? Since she has helped you in all sorts of stuff and all that."

"What do you mean 'all sorts of stuff'!" Shion yelled.

Satoshi pondered for a moment, before looking back up at the girls. "I guess so? She feeds me, reads me books...there was this time when she helped me to change my cloth-"

"That's enough!" Shion interrupted, her face already in the shade of a tomato.

However, Mion did not stop. She was enjoying herself and watching Shion getting unusually embarrassed. What was more amusing was Satoshi's response, which made him looked like an innocent child. Poor Shion, loving a dense boy sure is tough.

"Last Question!" Mion held up three fingers and grinned in excitement. "Satoshi-kun, since you think Shion can be a housewife and all that, would you marry her? Or should I say, do you like Shion?"

If you watched close enough, you could see a huge rock of "Defeat" crashing onto Shion's head.

That was the last straw. Shion stomped over to Mion and attempted to hold her in a headlock but Mion merely shoved Shion's attempts away as though her sister were a fly. "Ohoh," Mion smirked. "Someone's embarrassed now."

"Shut up! You're so going down!" Shion yelled at her.

Despite the commotion the sisters were making, Satoshi was seriously thinking about Mion's question. Do I like Shion? What does like mean anyway? Does she mean those kind of romantic like? Do I?

"Ah." Satoshi said as he faced the sisters. Shion immediately stopped and Mion did the same, waiting for his answer. Just as he opened his mouth, the core of Shion's chest starting speeding up wildly. She could almost hear it. I could be charged for speeding tickets, given by how fast my heart is going! Shion internally screamed in her head.

The two sisters held their breath as they watched Satoshi. It was as if everything was going in slow motion and it frustrated them. Just answer already, dammit! Mion was already on the verge of tearing the bed apart.

"I think Shion has done a lot for me," Satoshi said and the twins anticipated for his continuation. "And I really think she is as wonderful as a mother..."

Just get to the point already! Mion yelled in her head.  
So does he like me? Or not?! Shion screamed in her head.

"I do-" Just as he was about to continue Irie stepped in with his cheery voice booming into the room. "Woah, Mion's here!" He said as he approached the three teens. "Satoshi, it's time for your rehabilation, so do your best!"

The nurse came in with a wheelchair. The twins watched in their frozen positions as Satoshi rejected the wheelchair and attempted to walk to the room with the help of the staff. Before Satoshi left the room, he turned around with a smile.

"It has been fun, so do come again, Mion!" He said happily and left the room.

The sisters could only watch silently as he disappeared and the doctor happily taking his leave after Satoshi. Shion's heart rate immediately plunged to the lowest of the low while Mion sighed with disappointment. Just when he was about to answer, ugh! Shion cried internally.

But the twins knew one thing, and that was to gruesomely get rid of the killjoy doctor some day.

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**A/N : I was beginning to think that my chapters are getting darker and darker so...look forward to the next update! Review! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Awareness**

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Shion took a deep breath and opened the door. No one was in the room, which made her somehow sigh in relief. Ever since Mion's teasing she had been feeling conflicted towards Satoshi. She wanted to know how he felt, yet she knew it wasn't the right time.

"It has only been a month. Of course he won't feel that way..." she whispered as she sat on the chair beside his bed, looking downcasted. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up since the boy had little knowledge of others around him, and also the fact that he was dense.

"Feel what way?" The gentle voice resounded in her ears and she jolted, almost falling off the chair. "Guh! Satoshi-kun? Where have you been?" She exclaimed, trying to ward off the subject. "A-And did you just walk on your own?"

Satoshi didn't seemed to notice her anxious behavior. He smiled at her, making her insides melt tenderly. "Yeah," he answered. "I made so much progress that I could walk to the bathroom on my own." He then crossed his arms, trying to act smug.

Shion laughed at his failed attempt. Satoshi was never an arrogant person - in fact he was very humble and gentle and no one could ever bear to hate him, if it wasn't for her grandmother...

"Shion?" His voice snapped her out of her unpleasant thoughts. "Y-Yeah?"

"I've got something to tell you," Satoshi said, looking straight in the eye. This made her heart beat erratically and she held on to the chair to compose herself. She had never seen him look so serious before...perhaps he was going to answer the question Mion asked the other day?

No no no no! Shion chided herself. It's far too abrupt for this! It's impossible, is it?

"So what's the news?" She asked casually, trying to form a smile but she was sure it came out awkwardly.

Satoshi saw and lifted a brow at her. "Well, I was told that I could be discharged next week, which means I could go back to Satoko!" He beamed at her, showing his perfect white teeth. Shion blushed, however, since she was more in the ROMANTIC mood than the celebratory mood.

"That's great!" She MANAGED to say, smiling widely at him though her mind was preoccupied with conflicting thoughts. She knew she had to be extremely happy about this but somehow she felt disappointed that he had totally forgotten about Mion's final question. Damn it Shion, won't you just keep these thoughts out for once? She reprimanded internally.

Satoshi continued smiling as he sat on his bed beside her. Shion's heart rate increased at the close proximity between them. So close! She fangirled, though she kept a straight face.

"But if I recover faster, then I may be discharged within a few days," Satoshi continued, letting his excitement spill out. "It's all thanks to you, Shion!" He smiled angelically at her and at the moment their eyes made contact Shion averted her eyes.

"N-No problem!" She gave a short laugh. Oh God, why was she acting so awkwardly around him? Embarrassment and foolishness clouded her mind and she could blank out at any moment.

Then what happened next was unexpected to Shion, but expected of Satoshi. His hand landed on her soft green hair, gently rubbing it. "Thank you," He said once more, this time his voice was deeper yet soft.

Poor Shion's heart went drumming at full speed and blood rushed to her cheeks. I should get used to this! She screeched in her mind. She looked down, not once looking up at her beloved. She knew if she had done it she'd give herself away.

"Shion, are you okay?" Satoshi asked as he stopped his patting. He leaned in to take a closer look, while Shion looked up to answer him.

There was a moment of silence and the green head's face was fully red as her face was directly in front of his.

SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT! The alert was beeping in her mind and she stumbled back, almost falling to the ground. "I-I-I-I'm okay! J-Just gotta go to the washroom!" She stuttered out and immediately ran out of the room.

She ran straight to the washroom and splashed water on her face continuously till her face cooled down. Her legs were trembling and she was panting. "Damn it Shion!" She yelled and her voice echoed in the washroom. "Why aren't you acting like the usual calm Shion?!"

"Stupid, stupid, stupid Satoshi!" She covered her face in embarrassment. She then let go, taking a good look in front of the mirror. Once she saw how red her face still was she let out a frustrated shout and splashed more water on her face.

"I've had enough heart racing for a day," She mumbled to herself and made her way to his room. However she bumped into Irie and she looked up, not acknowledging his presence.

"Are you okay, Shion?" The doctor asked worriedly. "Satoshi said you looked like a tomato."

What a way to describe it, dense head.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She said, waving her hand as if to wave her worried thoughts away. Irie merely smiled at her. "Girl problems, huh?"

"Shut up!" She blushed again.

"Seems like I hit a nerve," the doctor smiled. "Do you need something to calm you down? Being my maid helps-"

Before he could finish Shion stepped on his foot, making him let out a cry. "I have no time for jokes," She said bluntly.

"S-Sorry," He winced.

Irie stood up then, regaining his composure. "Anyway," His voice grew serious. "I have to ask you a favor." Seeing the suspicious look on Shion's face, he added, "Don't worry, it's not about maids."

"So?" Shion urged him to continue on. Irie pushed back his glasses and sighed. "It's about Satoshi."

Now this made her worried. What is it with Satoshi? Does he have an incurable disease now? Is he relapsing again? Will he die soon?

"He's not going to die," Irie smirked at Shion's scrunched up face. She immediately relaxed, looking away in embarrassment.

"I just need you to take care of him for a few weeks after he is discharged. I'm just worried he'd relapse since it'll be hard for him to adapt in the village he was once scared of." Irie explained.

Shion nodded slowly at him, and he added on. "In other words, you have to live with him."

"WHAT."

"It's a good chance for you...you know..." Irie winked at her and Shion stepped on his foot again. "Is that even allowed?!" She asked, feeling a little shocked at his request. Imagine her grandmother finding out and her father too...it'll definitely be chaos. Not to mention Mion's teasings all day everyday.

"Don't worry, it's all approved!" Irie smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Your father can't say no to your grandma, so it's okay!"

Shion cringed at the thought of her dad's bodyguards spying on her 24/7.

Shaking the thoughts away, Shion looked back at Irie. "So when is Satoshi-kun being discharged?" She asked.

"Actually his condition improved tremendously, so he could be out tomorrow."

"I see."

Shion paused for a moment to replay what he had said. "Wait..." She trailed off.

"TOMORROW?!"

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**I am super sorry for the late update! School piled me with tons of homework and tests...but I'm glad I could come up with this chapter! :) Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Arrival**

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"Onee..." Shion muttered while glancing at her cards on hand. Mion made no response, only glancing at her cards and deciding what move to make against her sister.

Silence filled up the room again, leaving only the soft spinning of the fan to be heard.

Shion groaned and slammed her poker cards on the table. "ONEE!" She almost screamed in frustration, causing Mion to jump in shock.

"What do you want, Shion?" She asked impatiently, regaining her composure from the shock.

"I can't believe Satoshi is moving in today!" Shion ran her fingers through her hair, having the urge to rip it out. "And to think that I haven't even confessed to him yet!"

"Yes, I know, you screamed at me on the phone yesterday."

Shion slumped onto the table and in a bored attempt, she tried to mess up the cards on the table to get her sister's attention. Normally Mion would be hyped up about Shion's love life...or even if it wasn't about her. Mion got hyped up at everything, so it was a little weird to see her being uninterested at all, unless...

"Kei-chan?"

With that, Mion jolted and blushed. She shot Shion a glare for a brief second before clearing her throat. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Oho, something must have happened," Shion smirked and leaned in towards her blushing sister. She was too easy to figure out. "So, did you make a move on him?"

Mion remained silent for a while and Shion waited with a curious smile. The older twin avoided eye contact with the younger one and when their eyes met, Mion groaned loudly. "GAAAHH! Enough about me!" She yelled and threw her cards on the table. Shion felt a sense of deja vu and grinned at her sister. Mion huffed at her and glanced up at the clock. "Besides, isn't it about time for you to welcome your new roommate?"

The situation changed immediately. Mion was the one smirking now, while Shion was suppressing her embarrassment. Hey, wasn't it my job to harass her!? Shion thought angrily. "Seriously, how could Onibaba even allow this...this a-atrocity to occur!" She put her hands on her hips in disapproval, trying to sound as if she wasn't all THAT excited.

Mion began collecting the cards neatly. "She was enraged, of course, and I had to stop her from rampaging against Coach," She said and gave a hearty laugh. "Well, then I convinced her about how good it'd be if Satoshi could get used to us and forgive the Sonozaki family through your relationship, so she agreed."

So you were the root of this!" Shion screamed.

"You're very much welcomed," Mion winked.

Ah, what sisterly love, Shion sneered to herself. The truth was, she was really excited. But she was still rooted to reality, so she was afraid of her life with Satoshi under a roof. What if something unimaginable happened to him? What if he relapsed? What if he disappeared again? What if he came to hate her? Just at the thought of Satoshi forcing her out and saying that he didn't need her anymore terrified her.

Mion giggled at her sister's expression. "Don't worry, such things won't happen. Satoshi-kun is kind, after all."

"But I'm still worried...what if he objects to this plan of staying with him?"

Mion sighed and scooted over to Shion. "What's wrong with you? The Shion I know is not a cowardly girl! What happened to the girl who was willing to pluck her nails for the boy she loves? Do you remember how you'd boldly take on my identity just to see Satoshi? Or even beat up Satoko? The Shion I know is courageous and willing to go all lengths for Satoshi! So don't back out over such a small thing like this!"

The younger twin could only stare at her sister, dumbfounded. However, when she looked at her, she could see that Mion's eyes were not lying to her. They were strong with belief. They were directed to her. Shion's heart wavered a little, and the just like a tree in a tsunami, it was washed down with courage. The courage she had about a year ago came flooding back. It seemed to engraved itself in every cell of her body, and her mind was cleared of unnecessary thoughts.

Now she had to focus on taking care of Satoshi and getting him back on track.

The hours went by and Shion could only sit on her couch idly and secretly panic about Satoshi's arrival. Apparently he was going to come over to Okinomiya to live with her until he adapted, and then move back to Hinamizawa as a further step to his complete recovery.

_I guess it must be traumatic for him, huh?_ Shion thoughts trailed off as she lay on her couch, looking up at the ceiling. The anxious feeling was already gone and all she could do now was wait for Satoshi. She had already cleared her messy room in case he, um, happened to "stumble" into it under some unforeseen circumstances. She also cleared the mess in the sink, polishing all the plates until they shone. She dusted her windows and tables, as well as making the guest room as neat as her clothes which she straightened out every two minutes. She had swept and mopped the floor a couple of times and even adjusted the doormat to fit the tiles on the floor.

Wow, and all that completed within three hours!

Now, she'd just have to wait for his—Ding Dong!

_CRAP!_ Shion screamed in her head. _HE'S HERE!_ Some part of her believed that her shoujo life had begun (thanks to the manga she secretly stole from Mion) but she knew it wouldn't be as perfect as she hoped.

Gulping, she opened the door, planting a huge smile on her face she had been practicing all day long to look her best. However this time she didn't need to show the fruit of her efforts—it came naturally. "H-Hey, Satoshi-kun!" She could barely breathe.

"Good afternoon, Shion." Satoshi smiled kindly at her while Irie gave a greeting behind him. The two stepped into her house and the strawberry fragrance immediately filled their noses.

"Oh, I see that someone has been cleaning up!" Irie looked around with satisfaction. "How about becoming my maid!" However Shion managed to shut him up with a "No."

There was this super long awkward silence until Irie offered to put Satoshi's bags in the guest room. The couple could only stand around in the living room, not knowing what to do. Somehow all the friendly atmosphere they had had in the hospital was gone and replaced by the awkwardness. It was just like how you'd chat with your classmates with ease and friendliness in school but when you were out of school and you saw them, you could only manage a smile or a greeting.

Well, this happened to our very awkward couple, only Satoshi wasn't panicking, just enjoying the silence.

"H-Have a seat!" Shion broke the silence and headed to the kitchen to make tea. Mion's words came flashing across her mind and again, the courage she had almost forgotten came back to her. _I've got to do my best!_ she thought.

She served tea to them and sat right beside Satoshi. Her heart was thumping loudly, probably loud enough for the oblivious boy to notice.

"Uh, Coach," Satoshi piped up, looking a little uncertain. Shion glanced at him and turned away in panic. _Is he going to object to us living together?_ Her heart raced again, this time not in happiness, but rather preparing herself for the awaited disappointment.

"When can I see Satoko?" Satoshi continued.

_Ah, I must be thinking too much_, Shion almost sighed in relief.

"That's A good question," Irie smiled. He paused, and continued. "Well, I don't know."

"Huh?" Shion blurted out.

"You can decide for yourself. Whether it's today, tomorrow, or next month, it's up to you." Irie continued, picking up his cup. "It's your life now, so you're free."

Satoshi stared at Irie with A confused expression and softened. "I see..." He trailed off softly. Lately, he had a lot on his mind, mainly about Satoko and his life before he went into coma. It was too much for him to bear, but the situation now was even harder. He had to adapt quickly and move on from it.

And the hardest part was showing himself to Satoko.

"Well, I'll be off now. I'll see you at our next appointment." Irie picked up his bag and headed to the door while Shion followed him. "Don't forget to take you medication!" Satoshi nodded and waved at him.

"Shion-san," Irie suddenly called to her as she was opening the door for him.

"Yes?"

"Don't forget to use protection—OOF!" Irie was kicked out of the house and Shion slammed the door at him.

"Damn that Coach and his jokes," Shion tried to suppress her blush and headed back to where Satoshi was. He was sitting on the white couch, his back straight up and legs together. His eyes scanned the house, taking in the peaceful atmosphere. Shion took a seat in front of him, her back laid on the chair and legs crossed.

"It's okay, don't be so reserved. It's your home now." She smiled at Satoshi, who smiled back.

She looked away from him and suddenly the curtains looked very interesting. There was a silence in the room, mixed with an awkward atmosphere and a peaceful ambiance. What do I do now, Shion's thoughts raced in her mind. I can't think of anything to talk about! This is too awkward!

Mion's words flashed in her mind again and she remembered the times she spent with Satoshi before his "disappearance".

_It's okay,_ she calmed down, her tensed chest relaxing. _We can take it slow._

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**2 chapters at one go again! I have school even though it's the holidays :( But I'm still making use of this "free" time to come up with chapters hehe hope you like it :)) Review!**

**btw, I published my first book "Letters &amp; Lies" on wattpad under the user _blindfoldc0de_. you can check it out with you want and r&amp;r maybe? :))**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Worrying**

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It was night time and the couple had finished their dinner. The afternoon had passed without any problems for Satoshi, for he was feeling fine mentally and physically. He could now walk around the house without feeling tired easily, but he had to rest most of the time. Recovery is priority, he encouraged himself.

He had tried to help Shion with the housework, given that he had experience too and he was feeling bored doing nothing. He hadn't gone to school in a while, so he kind of missed doing homework. Oh and not to mention his baseball team. He wondered if they were doing well.

Satoko was constantly on his mind. He cared for her ever since she was born, and even more when their parents divorced. She had a weak mental state, so he had to have a strong mental state to make up for it. He would help her in everything, be it homework, food or clothes, he took care for her. Because his parents weren't all that responsible, so he had to be a parent figure for Satoko.

Satoshi sat on the couch, his eyes fixated on the television. He wasn't even paying attention to it but he had to seem as if he was watching it to make sure he didn't look like he was worrying. He didn't want to burden Shion with his worries, afraid that her taking care of him was already too much.

"...kun..Satoshi-kun?" He snapped out of his thoughts and faced Shion. She had a slice of watermelon in her hand and another stretching towards him. He accepted it and turned towards the television again.

"Is anything wrong?" Shion asked. The crunching of the watermelon could be heard.

Satoshi did not answer...or more like he was hesitating. Should he ask Shion about Satoko? It'd seem weird if he were to pour out his thoughts to her. But seeing Shion's concerned face he couldn't shake her off.

"Don't worry," she continued, crossing her legs. "You can tell me anything, so don't bottle things up okay?"

Seeing her kind smile made him softened a little. "Okay," He said, taking a bite of the watermelon. "It's about Satoko."

Shion gave a short laugh. "She's all fine," she grinned. "She's a strong girl now! She can even do housework on her own."

"That's a relief," He trailed off. He could trust Shion's words, but he really wanted to see that for himself. He wanted to see how his needy little sister changed into an independent lady who could care for herself. If only he could see her, even for a second, then he could relax.

Shion took a good look at him, and sighed softly. "Ever since you left, she's been living with Rika-chan. I, too, went to take care of her. She was initially lost like a lamb, bawling day and night. But I guess she knew that she couldn't keep being weak, so she started doing things herself."

Satoshi listened intently, a little surprised at her change. "Her cooking's really good! She even went to Kei-chan's house to cook dinner for him! But she still hates pumpkin though." Shion grinned at the thought of Satoko. "I took care of her like my little sister, just as you told me." Her face softened. "She has changed into a better person."

The blond couldn't help but smile. It was kind of hard to imagine his sister being independent and not crying all day. He looked Shion straight in the eye with gratefulness. "Thank you, Shion." He said, happiness overflowing in his tone.

"O-Ohh, it's no problem!" Shion stuttered and he didn't bother to take notice of it.

"B-But what about my uncle?" He asked, trying to stop himself from getting angry at the mention of it. He had absolutely no feelings for that "uncle" of his, though he was nice enough to take the siblings in. But obviously it was because of the money, so Satoshi hated him for it and his hatred grew when he abused them.

He bit his lip, trying to stop himself from remembering it.

Shion's expression turned dark for a brief moment, but she smiled again. "I don't know, but I guess he won't come back here again, so don't worry."

"That's good..."

Well, he still wanted to see Satoko! That was his sole purpose for recovering at A fast speed. He wanted to see his beloved sister as soon as possible and show that he was proud of her! He wanted to give her the bear she wanted!

Satoshi froze in his thoughts. His hands on the warm cup of tea turned cold.

"Shion," he began nervously. "Satoko won't hate me, will she?"

Shion did not respond for a few seconds. This made him afraid. What if Satoko hated him for leaving her all alone? What if she didn't want him back?

"Nope," She answered cheerfully, popping the 'pe'. "I know she's waiting for you to come back, that's why she changed. She kept saying her Nii-Nii will be proud of her when he comes back, so she'll wait with no ill feelings."

Satoshi could not answer. He felt like he had done wrong his sister. He made her wait for more than a year and if it was him, he'd be suffering. How could she stay so strong?

He couldn't wait any longer.

"Shion," He called her name again, not knowing he was causing heart attacks for the poor girl. "How about we see her tomorrow?"

"H-Huh? So soon?"

"No, it'd be in secret." For the first time Shion had ever saw, he gave a mischievous smile.

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**satoshi?! cheeky smile? *gasps* hahaha sorry that this chapter's kinda short but hope you still like it! Review! ^^ **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Relapsing**

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"How about cross dressing as a girl?" Shion took out a few clothes and threw them on her bed. Satoshi merely watched her as she rummaged through her wardrobe. He had no idea whether to feel awkward or grateful.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea..." He trailed off, almost cringing at the thought of it.

"But I think it is!" Shion spun around in excitement, her eyes gleaming. "It's a perfect disguise!" But she herself knew that the main reason was to see Satoshi in feminine clothes. Satoshi was already handsome as a guy, so wouldn't he look ten times better as a girl? So why not?

Of course she couldn't tell him that, and she felt kind of bad to use him to fulfill her delusions, but she had to! It was a once in a lifetime chance! And she's going on a date with him! (Okay, maybe not really a date, but a spy...date)

Shion picked out a blue top and a long white skirt. "How about these?" She asked.

Satoshi shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck. He had no idea how to reject someone, and even a girl at that. He was amused by Shion's enthusiasm but somehow she was too enthusiastic.

"Uh...how about this?" He suggested and Shion listened intently.

Half and hour later, the pair emerged from Shion's house all dressed up. Shion was dressed like herself and beside her was a young man wearing a cap and a mask. He wore an over-sized jacket and loose pants, but Shion felt that it fit him well. She had so wanted to see him in girl clothes, but she couldn't bear to reject Satoshi's idea. Damn, he looked like a modern young man.

She resisted the urge to squeal and kept a straight face as she walked ahead of Satoshi.

"Remember," she said, going through their plan. "Keep your mask on at all times. Also, just go along with the flow. Do not speak unless you need to."

"Yes Ma'm."

The green head giggled and she led Satoshi to the village of Hinamizawa.

Home sweet home. The last time he was there, he hadn't had very pleasant experiences. He was a little afraid but he remained quiet and calm. He didn't want to worry Shion again. She had already done enough for him by caring for him for a long time when he was in a coma.

He didn't want to be such a burden to her.

Shion stretched as she stood on the path where the meadow surrounded them. She stretched and made a satisfied groan. "The smell of home, right?"

He could only nod. He hadn't really considered Hinamizawa his home, mainly because he wasn't welcomed in the past. Has everything really changed? Was Satoko not bullied anymore? It was like stepping into a new world where there would be endless possibilities.

He almost trembled and he silently thanked Oyashiro-sama that he was wearing thick clothing so that Shion wouldn't see. However he felt a hand giving his arm a soft squeeze. He looked down at Shion, who was smiling at him.

"It's okay, you'll be fine." She assured him and somehow that pushed all his fears to the back of his mind.

He nodded and smiled. "Thanks," he said while patting her on the head.

Shion felt warm all of a sudden under his touch. The pat that she had missed for so long. Now he was patting her again, just like when they first met. Standing alone in a path where no one was there. It was almost like an reenactment of the scene, except that Satoshi wasn't bruised.

Her fluttering heart dropped when he pulled his hand away. She wanted to scream more, but she was patient. She didn't want to force her feelings on him, so she decided to wait. To wait for the day when he was ready for love.

"Let's go," Satoshi breathed out and walked ahead.

The two had decided to go around Hinamizawa for Satoshi to refresh his memories. _There weren't any good memories_, he had almost blurted out but kept it in when he noticed the forest where Satoko used to set up her traps. Nostalgia welled up inside him when he spotted the school he used to attend.

Maybe there were good memories after all, he thought. Memories of him playing games with the club. Memories of him doing embarrassing punishments, stirring up laughter from the club. Memories of him spending time along with Satoko and watching her set up her traps. Be careful, he had tried to warn her but the girl was far too adventurous unlike him.

"Satoshi?" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned to Shion, who was facing forwards. He looked to the direction and stopped short when he recognized the building.

It wasn't really a building - it was more of a house. The old house with the smell of wood emitting. It looked worse compared to the one in his memories - it was tattered, as if there weren't inhabitants to take care of it. Or maybe there's actually someone living in it, just that he hadn't bothered to clean up. There wasn't anymore she to clean up the house.

Because he had killed her.

That was his house. The very house he suffered in. The very house he and Satoko got abused in.

A wave of nausea hit him and he struggled hard to swallow it down. He was still wearing the mask, which suffocated him more. He reached out to the wall for support and he could hear Shion's voice all around him though he couldn't really hear her words. A rush of adrenaline made his hands curl around his neck, and then-

"SATOSHI!" Shion took the liberty of pulling down his mask and clutched his hands tightly. He was clearly trying to scratch his neck a second ago. Did the medicine wear off? It couldn't have been gone that fast unless something stimulated it. Something like his old house.

"Let's get out of here," Her voice was low with worry and she held his hand tightly. She could feel him trembling beside her, especially his hand. It was sweaty, but Shion held on tighter, never wanting to let go. He was in an emotional state and she had to get him away before L5 got triggered again.

The clinic. Thank goodness they were a short distance from the clinic. Seems like Operation Find-Satoko-at-her-house-and-make-some-crappy-excuse-to-visit-for-a-while had failed.

They were nearing the clinic but Satoshi suddenly stopped, causing Shion to stop abruptly too. She turned and gasped as he breathed heavily. Before she could do anything he yanked his hand away and raised them up to his neck.

"A-Argh...haa..." He gasped, his chest heaving up and down. He started scratching his neck softly, and before it could get any worse, Shion mustered all her strength and pulled Satoshi to the entrance.

"COACH!" She yelled, causing everyone in the clinic to turn and stare. Satoshi was still gasping for breath, muttering some words incoherently. Irie came out and immediately administered to him while the nurses assisted him.

"L-Let me go...! M-My th-throa...t..." He gasped heavily, almost shouting. Thank goodness his cap covered half of his face, so many couldn't recognize him.

Shion could only wait outside the room. It was entirely her fault. Maybe if she had monitored his health before they headed out. She should have waited until he got used to the environment. She shouldn't have brought him to his old house; she could have taken the long route to Satoko's house.

She wasn't fit for taking care of him.

She was too focused on having fun with him. She hadn't notice his hidden pain, the obvious scars that still haunted him today. _What a selfish brat,_ she chided herself.

Irie finally came out and sat beside Shion, who was hunched over. "Don't worry, he's fine now."

She looked up, her face grim with worry. "Coach, I-I don't think I can..." She trailed off, mainly because she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Somehow he understood. "It's normal, Shion." He explained. "He was just having a minor relapse. We just gave him a shot and he stabilized soon enough."

When Shion didn't respond, he continued. "It isn't your fault. No one blames you."

"Nee-Nee?"

Shion's head shot up immediately. "Satoko?" The child was standing in the corridor, her face confused. Rika was behind her, somehow looking serious.

"She's here for her shot," Irie smiled knowingly. "He'll come around soon."

Shion nodded. Now that Satoko was here, she could have a chance to fulfill Satoshi's wish.

When Satoko went along with Irie, Rika scooted over to Shion who was regaining her composure. The adorable child looked up at her with big eyes gleaming in curiosity...and knowingly.

"Shii, what are you doing here?" Rika asked.

"I'm waiting for my..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say. Who should she refer Satoshi as? Her cousin? Her friend?

"Boyfriend?"

Shion averted her eyes to Rika's, who seemed to smile innocently but it didn't looked so. Sometimes she felt that Rika had the ability to expose oneself, and she had always gave subtle hints. Maybe Rika did know about Satoshi, but she wasn't so sure.

So Shion could only nod her head slowly. "Y-Yeah," She said a little shyly.

"I'm waiting for my boyfriend."

* * *

**a/n : I AM BACK I left one more paper for my exams and I'm free for 5 months! Thanks to my beta reader Isae and all of you readers for being patient and supporting me this past year! Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Embarrassing**

* * *

"S-So, this is my boyfriend, Shiro."

It was awkward as hell. When Shion broke the news to the poor guy who had just recovered on the bed, he was stunned. "B-Boyfriend?" He had stuttered in disbelief. Shion could only use Rika as an excuse and apologise, though she was pretty fine with it.

"You don't mind, right?" She had asked nervously, trying to suppress a blush. Satoshi shook his head but averted his eyes away from hers.

So when Shion introduced Satoshi a.k.a Shiro to Satoko and Rika in the clinic, the kids danced for joy to celebrate. "Shii finally has a boyfriend! Nipaa~" Rika smiled widely. Satoshi silently heaved a sigh of relief when neither of them recognized him. After all, his cap hid his blonde hair and the mask covered the rest of his face, leaving his red eyes bare for them to see.

Satoko stopped short and glanced at Shion with a confused look. "But I thought you said you liked Nii-"

"AHAHAHA, the one I truly love is Shiro!" Shion yelled out to interrupt Satoko's words. If she had spouted out Nii-Nii she'd be dead meat. She hadn't realized her words made Satoshi nervous a little.

He was the only one being quiet. He had just recovered, meaning that he managed to suppress his L5 back to L3. It was a momentary thing and he was told that it would be frequent and would not be dangerous if the shot was taken immediately.

Somehow the thought of being Shion's fake boyfriend was...new.

"We should get going," Satoko said as she turned to leave.

"Hey, Shii, how about you and Shiro come to our house for tea?" Rika beamed.

Shion nodded her head almost immediately. "Sure, we'd love to!" Great job Rika, even if you didn't know anything! Satoshi could only nod. He still wasn't allowed to speak unless needed.

The four headed to the house together, with the children skipping at the front while the teenagers tagged along at the back. Satoko was grumbling about how Keiichi didn't fall for a trap that one time while Rika was comforting her.

Keiichi. Satoshi had heard of him before, and he only knew him as someone close to Satoko and the loser in the club. The guy who always lost and wore embarrassing outfits. He couldn't really believe that Satoko was finally interacting with a guy with no hard feelings, but times did change when he wasn't around. Nevertheless, as long as Satoko was happy, he'd be happy too.

He was still feeling a little uncomfortable to his stomach, but he felt like he could manage well the entire time by sun set. He hoped his identity wouldn't be exposed anytime soon, seeing that he was dangerously close to his sister. Who knows how she would react when she saw him?

"This is our crib!" Satoko said cheerfully to Satoshi who nodded his head in acknowledgment. She used to be hiding behind him whenever she saw a male stranger, but now she was openly welcoming him. She had changed a lot.

They went into the house and sat while Satoko prepared tea. Rika shifted closer to Satoshi and stared at him with her big violet eyes.

"Is your cold better?" She asked, smiling but her eyes didn't seem to.

The way she asked made him a little uncomfortable. It felt as if she knew he hadn't caught a cold. He felt like she was tearing his disguise away, one by one, the cap and the mask. It was Rika-chama after all, the Head of the Furude shrine.

Maybe she knows, he thought, but she didn't seem intent on exposing him. Sometimes children (or girls) can be scary.

He faked a cough and shook his head while Shion watched in amusement. I'm pretty good at acting, especially when it comes to Satoko, he had said a little too proudly, leaving the girl a little stunned.

Satoko came back with tea and she settled down with the others. "Hey, Shiro-san, how did you get together with Nee-Nee?"

Nee-Nee? Satoshi glanced at Shion who seemed to be red. It was a cold winter's day, so maybe the cold had gotten to her, he thought. He also thought that he was the only one being called a cute nickname, but seems like he wasn't that special anymore. Satoshi slumped a little, trying not to sigh.

"U-U-Uh, l-let's not talk about this!" Shion stuttered, feeling flustered. Her face was obviously red and she felt super hot even though the heater wasn't that strong. It was embarrassing enough to introduce Satoshi as her boyfriend, but it's worse if she had to make up stories about them (meaning that she'd have to spill out her fantasies).

"Rika wants to know too!" The blue haired girl smiled widely and chanted her catchphrase.

Seeing that the girls were excited about their "relationship", and also that Shion wasn't going to speak anytime soon (seriously, is she going to catch a cold?), Satoshi decided to talk.

He cleared his throat, making the fellow teen turn her head. "I, uh," He began, not knowing what to make up. He clearly hadn't got into a relationship before. He wasn't close to any girls except for Satoko. Mion was the tomboyish leader and he barely knew Rena, who had transferred in before he left. Rika was...just Rika and Shion was...

Shion had been by his side ever since he woke up. In fact he knew he briefly before he was in a coma and all he remembered of her was the twin of Mion. It came as a surprise to him so he hadn't really got to know her. Now that she was taking care of him, he managed to get closer to her. He regarded her as a good friend that one could depend on.

"Shion's a nice girl," he said while the girls listened intently. He could feel a faint blush because he hadn't really compliment a girl before. "She helped me a lot before so...I fell for her and asked her out."

Will Shion be angry? He glanced at her but was quite surprised to see her face redden to the shade of a tomato. He was pretty sure that it wasn't because of the cold air. Maybe she was actually...feeling hot? But the heater wasn't that strong...

The children squealed, especially Rika who seemed to be too excited about it. How's that, Hanyuu? She asked the God mentally, who had decided to remain as a spirit for a while to supervise Satoshi.

Au~Au~, they're so cute~~, Hanyuu cooed.

Many things were happening in the household. Shion was frozen on the spot because of Satoshi's words and though she knew they were made up, she couldn't help but feel all fluttery. Satoko and Rika were swooning, since they were interested in their friends' love lives. (Remember that one love quadrilateral between Keiichi, Mion, Rena and Shion? That was waaaaay too entertaining for the kids.)

Meanwhile Satoshi was watching Satoko, who thankfully hadn't noticed it because if she did she'd have a bad impression. She was all grown up since the last time he saw her. She was a little taller, her hair was longer and her dull eyes were now beaming with happiness. It was a major change compared to almost two years ago. He was definitely proud of her and he wanted to quickly return and make up for the time lost.

He stared down at his tea. He hadn't touched it, mainly because he'd have to remove his mask to drink it. It'd be rude if he didn't, but he had to somehow not expose his identity. He still had his cap on, but he wondered if that would be sufficient to hide him.

The girls were already chatting about stuff he didn't know of, probably about how Keiichi lost to Mion in a game. Or how Rena's habits had grew worse. He pulled down his cap so it hid his eyes, then pulled down his mask and brought the cup to his lips.

"N-" The moment Satoko started he flinched, causing the tea to spill on his jacket.

"Sa-Shiro!" Shion quickly grabbed some tissues and wiped the stain. The rest turned to look at Satoshi, who smiled sheepishly.

"S-Sorry," He mumbled softly to her.

Thank God Satoko wasn't saying Nii-Nii. He chided himself for being too cautious to the point where he'd screw things up.

"Hey, hey, how about a kiss?" Rika asked innocently and so suddenly.

"W-Wha?" Shion immediately sat back away from Satoshi, who hadn't really heard what Rika said.

"Do it!" Satoko urged enthusiastically.

"W-Wha..." Shion was too burned up to even complete her sentence. She tried her hardest not to look at Satoshi, but she could feel his stare on her. This was getting too tiring for her. It was enough heart-racing for the day.

Satoshi, on the other hand, was clueless. "Do what?" He asked, putting his mask back on. If Satoko wanted them to do something, then why not? Why was Shion being so flustered?

"Let's just do it?" He asked. He figured he should do what Satoko wanted, even if it was under the guise of some random guy.

"WHAT?" Shion practically yelled into his face, her cheeks burning._ Oh my god, he doesn't mind? Wait, so he wants to kiss me? B-B-But we aren't even lovers! I haven't even confessed yet!_

Her heart was speeding like a bullet train and she wished she could hop onto the nearest bullet train and run away from the situation. She licked her lips, and braced herself.

"S-So you want to k-kiss?" She asked Satoshi.

There was an uncomfortable pause, causing the entire house to fall silent. The kids were waiting, holding their breaths in. Satoshi was too stunned by her words to even utter a single word.

Shion waited for an answer, but when she saw that Satoshi wasn't budging, she heaved a sigh. One in relief and disappointment.

"We have to head back soon, i-it's getting late!" She tried to hide the dull tone in her voice. She got up and the silent boy stood up after her.

"See you then!" She waved with a huge smile and the kids waved back in disappointment at their abrupt leave

Satoko hung her head. "It was such a shame." She said while Rika nodded her head.

"By the way, don't you think Shiro-san looks a little familiar?" The blonde asked Rika, who shrugged.

"Who knows?" She smiled suggestively.

The entire trip back home was probably the most awkward moment in the history. Shion was walking fast ahead of Satoshi and as much as she wanted to slow down, she couldn't. She was a little disappointed, but she understood. She had caused such inconvenience to the poor guy and she didn't know how to face him. Maybe introducing him as her boyfriend was a little too much.

She sighed, letting the warm air out like smoke. She'd apologise once she got home.

Little did she know that Satoshi was blushing hard the entire time with many thoughts running through his head.


End file.
